Guide to Global Travel - Exploration pp1-8

2011 Edition
The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
Table of Contents
You Could Be in for a Shock.................................................... 25
Trip Planning at a Glance......................................................... 04
Checkpoint: 3–8 Months......................................................... 26
18–24 Months Prior to Trip.............................................05
6–12 Weeks Prior to Trip..................................................27
Your Journey as a Globetrotter............................................. 05
Get Down to Details................................................................... 27
Trip-Planning Timeline............................................................. 06
Know About the Dough............................................................ 28
Checkpoint: 18–24 Months..................................................... 08
Checkpoint: 6–12 Weeks......................................................... 30
12–16 Months Prior to Trip..............................................09
4–6 Weeks Prior to Trip...................................................31
Earnings and Savings for Your Trip....................................... 09
Pack Like a Pro............................................................................. 31
Your Adult Network.................................................................... 12
What’s Up with You?.................................................................. 32
The You Factor............................................................................ 14
Checkpoint: 4–6 Weeks........................................................... 33
Checkpoint: 12–16 Months...................................................... 15
On Your Trip.........................................................................34
8–12 Months Prior to Trip................................................16
Be a Savvy Traveler.................................................................... 34
Build Your Itinerary..................................................................... 16
Stay Safe........................................................................................ 35
Go Girl Scout Green!................................................................. 17
Journal Your Heart Out............................................................ 36
Fit to Travel?................................................................................. 19
Global Advocate......................................................................... 37
Checkpoint: 8–12 Months........................................................ 21
Home, Sweet Home.........................................................38
3–8 Months Prior to Trip........................................................... 22
Reverse Culture Shock............................................................. 39
Culture Quest.............................................................................. 22
Make a Difference in the World............................................. 41
Crossing Cultures....................................................................... 24
Where You’re Going, Where You’ve Been.......................... 43
Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
World, Here You Come....................................................03
Page 2
World, Here You Come
There’s a world outside your window,
just waiting for you.
Now is your chance to explore new places and cultures, sample food and
languages, and be the person you aspire to be. Make your way around the
globe one trip at a time with Girl Scout travel. Just by reading Exploration:
The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel, you’ll already be on the road to
changing your life forever.
One of the best parts of going on an international trip with Girl Scouts is that
you’ll share the excitement and passion of your travels with others by creating
a Take Action project inspired by your experiences.
Plan and make decisions about your trip—location,
purpose, cost, and itinerary.
Discover your inner strength, your values, and new skills
as you look at the world from different points of view.
Connect with others by working together towards a goal.
You’ll develop healthy relationships, feel a connection to
the community you’ll be visiting, and share your trip with
family, friends, and neighbors in your own community.
Have an amazingly crazy good time, and a meaningful
one, too. You’ll feel empowered to Take Action on
something you care about, whether it’s in the place
you’re visiting or in your own backyard. You’ll want your
Take Action plan to truly make a difference by effectively
sustaining itself long after you’ve moved on.
Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
Consider Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel your step-by-step
manual to exploring the world. Whether you choose a Girl Scout destination
(trip exclusively designed for Girl Scouts) or travel with your Girl Scout group,
the Girl’s Guide is like having your own personal travel agent. It provides the
structure, timeline, tips, and to-do’s to start your adventure. Since travel and
destinations information is updated on the Girl Scout Web site regularly, be
sure to bookmark www.girlscouts.org/travel for important announcements
and current details.
Page 3
Progress
Trip Planning at a Glance
18-24
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
18-24
Months
Choose Your Location
Develop the Purpose of Your Trip
Brainstorm Trip Details
3-8
3-8
Months
Months
6-8
Weeks
12-16
Months
Create a Budget
Plan Money-Earning Projects
Build An Adult Network
Check Your R (Readiness) Quotient
Build Your Itinerary
Focus on Team Building
Determine Your Fitness Level
Get Travel Documents in Order
3-8
Months
Define Your Own Culture
Explore the Culture You’ll Be Visiting
Know How to Deal with Culture Shock
6-12
Weeks
Finalize Itinerary Details
Check Paperwork
Confirm Plans
On Your
Trip
Back at
Home
Your progress
is shown here!
Track yourself throughout
this guide by using this key.
4-6
Weeks
Pack Smart
Take Inventory on You
On your
trip
Be Safe and Savvy
Journal Your Heart Out
Be a Global Advocate
Back at
home
Page 4
Reflect on Your Trip
Get Back into the Groove
Spread the Word
Take Action
Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
8-12
Months
4-6
Weeks
Progress
18–24 Months Prior to Trip
18-24
18-24
Months
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
Your Journey as a Globetrotter
Start planning your dreams right now! Want to backpack in Switzerland? Be part of a
conservation project in the Galapagos? Learn about dolphins in Honduras? The very first item
on your to-do list is to think about where you want to go. Get excited about the details of the trip.
Traveling with your Girl Scout group? Start with a kickoff meeting so everyone gets a chance to
voice her ideas.
Give Your Trip a Purpose
What do you want to get out of your trip?
This can be as broad as learning about
another culture or as specific as exploring
a particular language, the arts, environment, an historical event, or a social issue.
Your purpose will guide where you go and
what you do.
Location Scout
Research countries you’re interested in
visiting. If you’re traveling with a group,
encourage everyone to gather information,
then hash it out democracy-style. Everyone gets a chance to make a case for her
location. Then make a decision as a team.
Itinerary
Once you have your location, pull together
ideas for an itinerary—a detailed outline
of your proposed journey. Keep your
trip’s purpose in mind as you determine
where you want to go and when. See “8–12
Months Prior to Trip” for tips on building
your itinerary.
All in the Timing
When is the best time to travel? Consider
cost, weather, and school, family, and/or
holiday obligations. How long can you be
away? Consider the time it will take to earn
and save the money you’ll need. Let your
family know of your big plans. You’ll also
need to designate an adult as your trip
adviser, someone to guide and coach you
through the big stuff. Need help selecting
an adviser? Find more information on this
under “Your Adult Network” on page 12.
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To participate in a Girl Scout international trip
you must:
•
•
•
•
Be a registered Girl Scout (Cadette or older)
Travel as/with a group
Have at least two accompanying adults on your trip
Have prepared for an international trip by taking shorter trips with your group
(Girl Scout Progression)
• Get approval from your Girl Scout council
• Submit all the required forms to your council
Trip Tip:
On Your
Trip
Back at
Home
Page 5
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4-6
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Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
The Travelers
Who’s going? Does everyone have the
time and commitment needed forplanning
and money-earning? Planning and prep
time can be anywhere from one to two
years or longer.
3-8
Months
Progress
Trip-Planning Timeline
18-24
18-24
Months
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
A visual timeline that shows the steps leading to your
departure date is a handy tool. It can help you plan,
accomplish goals, and gauge the time leading up
to your exciting departure.
Use the timeline below to chart your adventure—or create your own. Be sure to
add important dates to your timeline: the benchmarks and smaller tasks you’ll
need to complete to accomplish your goals. Copy it, decorate it, enlarge it—do
whatever you need to keep yourself on task. Post it on a wall or locker or set it as
your opening page when you turn on your computer. Place it somewhere you’ll
see everyday.
3-8
Months
6-8
Weeks
4-6
Weeks
18-24
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
3-8
Months
On Your
Trip
Back at
Home
Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
Page 6
Progress
Trip-Planning Timeline (continued)
18-24
18-24
Months
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
6-12
Weeks
4-6
Weeks
On your
Trip
Back
Home
3-8
Months
6-8
Weeks
4-6
Weeks
On Your
Trip
Back at
Home
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Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
Trip Tip:
Page 7
ist e next phase
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Che on to th u:
18-24 Months
Talk to people you know who have
already been on at least one other
destinations trip.
—Yelean, 14
The world centers:
• Our Chalet (Switzerland)
• Pax Lodge (United Kingdom)
• Our Cabaña (Mexico)
• Sangam (India)
For additional Girl Scout travel advice and information, visit the
Girl Scout travel site: www.girlscouts.org/travel.
Trip Tip:
ly for world center summer
Book group reservations ear
ut
in advance. Visit the Girl Sco
programs—at least one year
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for descriptions.
18-24
18-24
Months
Months
12-16
Months
8-12
Months
3-8
Months
6-8
Weeks
4-6
Weeks
On Your
Trip
Back at
Home
Note
s & Id
eas
Girl Scouts of the USA Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel
Connect with your global sisters through the World Association of
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)/world centers (http://www.
wagggsworld.org/en/world/centres). Interested in England, Switzerland, India, or Mexico? These countries are home to the four world
centers, where girls from around the globe can learn more about each
other, the Girl Guide/Girl Scout movements, and the countries they are
visiting. The centers offer special programs and the facilities provide
inexpensive lodging for Girl Scouts. Visit the world centers through our
destinations program as well.
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Page 8